Busiest month on record for mountain rescue team

The rescue team was called out more than a dozen times in October

A mountain rescue team in southern Scotland has had its busiest month on record.

Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team (TVMRT) was called out more than a dozen times during October.

It was already on course for 2024 to be its busiest year.

Its callouts during the record-breaking month included operations to assist hillwalkers, mountain bikers and a pet dog.

Many rescues at this time of year take place in darkness

The volunteer rescuers were sent to incidents over a "significant geographical spread", many of them outside the boundaries of the Scottish Borders.

The charity said a number of its rescues at this time of year had to be carried out in darkness.

TVMRT is currently trying to raise £3,000 to buy thermal imaging camera equipment to assist with such operations.

In total, its team members spent nearly 400 hours at a range of incidents across October.

They included three missing person searches, hillwalker and mountain biker rescues and a false alarm.